ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court Thursday allotted seven days to Malik Riaz Hussain to engage legal counsel in the contempt of court matter.A three-member special bench comprising Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan, Justice Tariq Parvez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim heard contempt of court case against the business tycoon.Malik Riaz has been issued show cause notice under Article 204 of the Constitution read with Section 3 of Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003 and Section 17 of Supreme Court Rules 1980 for ridiculing the judiciary in a press conference on June 12.At the outset of the hearing, Malik Riaz prayed to the court to grant him at least ten days so he could engage a lawyer. He informed the court that he contacted many top lawyers of the country, including Aitzaz Ahsan, but they were unwilling to represent him in this case.Aitzaz Ahsan told The Nation that he would not represent Malik Riaz in the contempt of court matter. Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan observed that hiring a legal counsel is the fundamental right of every accused; however, he asked Malik Riaz to hire his legal counsel in a week.The court also debarred Malik Riaz from speaking to the media pending the contempt of court matter. The court, however, rejected a plea to place Riaz’s name on Exit Control List (ECL). Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Gujar advocate, who also filed contempt of court petition against Riaz, prayed the court to place his name on the ECL. But the court said Malik Riaz has come back from London on the court notice and on the short notice appeared before the bench today (Thursday) in contempt matter.Islamabad High Court Bar former president Ashraf Gujjar also said that Malik Riaz is continuously appearing in TV programmes despite the fact that contempt of court case is pending before the apex court. The business tycoon however, assured the court to comply its orders.Justice Shakirullah after dictating the order inquired from Mr Riaz: ‘Have you understood it?” Malik Riaz requested the honourable judge to explain in Urdu, saying he does not know English. The petitioner remarked: “But you (Riaz) have written book in English.” Riaz said that he wrote articles in Urdu and somebody translated those for him. The case was adjourned until June 21.

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